A book of beauty is a joy forever!

Even though the Internet offers a treasure trove of information and tutorials, photo books continue to inspire photographers. To hold and look at physical prints captured by the best photographers in the world is an experience digital platforms miss out on. 

For a photographer, more than the text, it is the visual that holds irresistible appeal. Looking at the pictures made by Ansel Adams or Henri Cartier-Bresson on a full page is akin to going on a journey. Photography has changed and evolved since the time of black-and-white and sepia images but the basic principles of the craft remain more or less the same. Here is a ready reckoner of some of the best photography books.

The Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Henri Cartier-Bresson is one of the most influential photographers ever and his body of work is widely considered as a guide to any photographer, especially when it comes to street photography. The book is a portfolio of his work and is often hailed as a photography Bible.

The Americans by Robert Frank. This photo book published in 1959 is a masterpiece. A selection of work by photographer Robert Frank whom the New York Times called a ‘Pivotal Documentary Photographer’ of the 20th century. Frank composed a series of pictures of cross-country America. It took him two years to produce the pictures for this book in which he tells stories of people and places between 1955-57, all with a touch of melancholy. 

On Photography by Susan Sontag. In a collection of essays, Susan Sontag makes a deep exploration of photographs as a medium in reality. Sontag digs deep into the philosophical aspect of photography. “The subject of photography is a form of access to contemporary ways of feeling and thinking,” she says.

The Negative by Ansel Adams. A master of composition, Adams created iconic images of the 20th century. Each photograph in the book is a piece of art by itself. The Negative is a three-series collection of work filled with expansive landscapes, the play between clouds and mountains in Yosemite, the rustic curves of the canyon in Arizona, and the flow of the river streams between grasslands.

Workers by Sebastião Salgado. Sebastião Salgado has captured the human condition of the world’s poorest men, women and children. His images take the reader on a journey of their daily life. The renowned documentary photographer and photojournalist’s book, Workers: An Archaeology of the Industrial Age, was published in 1993. 

Raghu Rai’s India. Noted and celebrated Indian photographer Raghu Rai has documented the rich culture and portraits of people across India. In Raghu Rai’s India-Reflections In Black & White, published in 2007, the distinguished lensman has captured India’s everyday life as seen through his unique eye.

Honorary mentions include Ways Of Seeing by John Berger, Aperture Masters Of Photography by Dorothea Lange, Street Photographer by Vivian Maier and What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women.

These books serve as both explainers of the craft and visual delights.

Lenscraft is a monthly column on all things photography — tips, tricks and everything in between.

The writer is a photojournalist who tells stories with his pictures. Find his pictures on Twitter and Instagram @pushkarv